Abstract: Novel Journal of Applied Sciences Research

Abstract:
Malachite Green (MG) is a dye that has generated controversy due to its possible carcinogenic risks. In this work, the degradation of this compound using different natural and synthetic compounds was studied. Two phenomena occur in this process: photocatalysis and dissociative adsorption. To measure the progress of degradation, UV-Vis spectroscopy was employed. The compounds used were zinc formate (ZF), Ag-doped zinc formate (ZF/Ag) and their corresponding oxides calcined at 600°C, ZnO and Ag-ZnO. In addition to them, a commercial organoaluminosili cate corresponding to the mineral clinoptilolite, with commercial brand Carbura Zea T ®, in its natural form (CTS) and calcined at 400°C (CTC) were used. The compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The estimation of the optical bandgap energy was carried out by the Tauc method in order to predict their photocatalytic efficiency. Maximum photocatalytic MG degradation of 99.25% was measured in ZnO after 10 min of exposure to UV light.